Turbo
Well-Known Member
They didn't go hard on KK. They simply were being vindictive and thought for sure MTL would match.
I think so too.
They didn't go hard on KK. They simply were being vindictive and thought for sure MTL would match.
Also keep in mind that Dvorak is only 25 yrs oldNot going to lie, I think Montreal is better on paper next season with Dvorak as one of the top two with Suzuki than they were with a Suzuki-KK duo. Dvorak is better two-ways (at least at this time).
Despite the Carolina Hurricanes' numerous references suggesting otherwise, general manager Don Waddell insists the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet wasn't about getting back at the Montreal Canadiens for doing the same to Sebastian Aho two years ago.
"It certainly was not revenge," Waddell said Sunday. "We talked about this player, we know this player."
"(We used) the CBA as other teams have in the past to try to acquire a 21-year-old player," he added. "So to us, it was all about the player. We looked around the league and thought this made the most sense from where we are as a team.
"We have a couple of other good Finnish players on our team and thought this would be a great fit."
On Saturday, Montreal chose not to match an offer sheet for $6,100,015 that Carolina tendered to Kotkaniemi one week earlier, making the forward a member of the Hurricanes.
Last Saturday, in the immediate aftermath of the move, Carolina's press release included a quote from Waddell that was nearly identical to what Montreal GM Marc Bergevin said after issuing an offer sheet to Aho in 2019. The Hurricanes also included a $20 signing bonus in Kotkaniemi's deal (Aho wears No. 20), and Carolina's social media team repeatedly poked fun at Montreal with callbacks to the earlier ordeal.
The club even posted a screenshot of the signing bonus on Twitter with a caption reading, "People don't forget."
"So, the (press) release, that's a marketing thing," Waddell said. "We're trying to continue to build our franchise here in Raleigh (and) trying to keep our fans engaged. Our social team gets huge marks from the NHL and they had some fun with it."
The Canadiens signed Aho to a five-year offer sheet with a $8.454-million cap hit on July 1, 2019. The Hurricanes matched it several days later.
Kotkaniemi's deal is the first unmatched offer sheet since Dustin Penner left the Anaheim Ducks for the Edmonton Oilers in 2007.
I'm ready5 more weeks!!!! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
FFSInjury parade starting early this year.
Crosby to miss camp and probably first six weeks of the season recovering from wrist surgery.